Candidate Profile Packet CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY Annual Meeting February 26, 2017
2017 VESTRY Candidate Profiles Vote for 3, 3-Year Term Tori Aitchison Tori lives in Bethlehem with her husband Kent and sons David and Matthew. She grew up Catholic and said it was always a treat to join her grandmother, Lala Leach, for the late Christmas Eve service at Nativity. After graduating from Lehigh, she started attending with her grandmother and was received and then married at the Cathedral. She enjoys teaching. Her volunteer leadership with organizations including United Way, St. Luke's Hospital and Good Shepherd combined with her professional fundraising experience with Lehigh University have provided a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow. As a student in Spiritual Direction at Moravian Theological Seminary, Tori is learning to approach her activities in a more contemplative way. Tori is excited to see young families join Nativity, especially knowing all the gifts it has brought to her family. Tori also feels grounded in service through the Order of St. Luke. She sees the greatest challenge for Nativity to nurture so many people who have different spiritual needs and who have many competing interests and commitments for time. Kyle Cole Kyle has been attending the Cathedral since 2013. He attends 10:30 worship and also attends the Celtic service on Saturdays. Kyle attends Adult Forum, a few suppers and participated in the youth Final Four contest. The gifts and skills he believes he has to offer is a unique perspective being relatively new to the Lehigh Valley. He has research, analytic and management experience and has served churches in a variety of lay, volunteer positions. When asked what he is most excited about as he looks to the future of the Cathedral he said the Cathedral is at an interesting time and position in preparing for a successful future. It has the feel of a parish and cathedral, which is unique and can be a launching point for great things in the community and diocese.
Kyle feels the greatest challenges for the future of the Cathedral is finding a way for the entire church body to feel as one congregation considering the multitude of services. We must be mindful not to overextend what we can do and not to underestimate what we can accomplish. Kyle is married to Mary Catherine. He has a beautiful boy, 5- year-old Matthew. He has two adult children living in Texas: a daughter in Fort Worth and a son in San Antonio. Werner Reinartz Werner and his wife Mary Joy joined the Cathedral in 2005. They attended confirmation and the welcoming classes and were married at the Cathedral on May 7, 2006. They have participated in the building restoration as a benefactor, are weekly participants and he completed DOCC classes in 2012/2013. Werner said they have gained meaningful friendships from their church community through dinner groups and Cathedral sponsored activities. Werner graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1972 with a degree in engineering. Since then, he has worked in technical sales and marketing, product management, sales and marketing management, international sales and business ownership. He is presently President and CEO of Reynolds & Reynolds Electronics, Inc. This company manufactures and sells emergency power units to the elevator industry. Werner looks forward to the Cathedral serving the community for another 150 years. He said he personally may not witness it, but believes the choices we make today can sustain our future. He feels the Cathedral s greatest challenge are the needs to expand its base of parishioners. It can do this by organic growth and outreach. Without an expanded base that is young and active, the church will struggle in the short and longer term to deliver its fundamental mission. The present state of limited resources restrict outreach and curtail some simulative activities. It also prevents us from finding and keeping the best talent in the congregation.
2017 NOMINATING COMMITTEE Candidate Profiles Vote for 3, 1 -Year Term Barbara Iannelli Barbara has been attending the Cathedral since 1969. She teaches Sunday school. Barbara is a member of the choir, church camp staff member, church book club, yarns of love, lector and altar guild. She is also a member of the Order of the Daughters of the King and the Prayer Companions. Barbara can also be found leading Bible Studies. She has served as the clerk of the vestry for 5 years. Barbara is excited about getting out and bringing the neighborhood into the Cathedral. She feels are greatest challenge is fear of the unknown and not taking a chance. Barbara, a retired teacher, living in Walnutport. She is single with one son, Gene. Kim Plyler Kim has been a member of Nativity since she was born in 1964. She sang in the choir as a child and was a camper and a camp counselor. She serves on the Third Millennium Foundation Board. Connecting with people to help further missions are the gifts and skills she has to offer to this ministry of leadership. Kim is most excited for the future of the Cathedral specifically with more mission outreach to this community s needs.
Challenges are always in opinions and mindsets. If we all work together a better solution always comes. Kim lives in Bethlehem with her husband Charles and their son Jeremiah. She is the CEO/Founder of Sahl Communications, Inc. Janet Kolepp Janet moved to Bethlehem with her family in 1998. Immediately became involved in many areas of the Cathedral including: Camp staff, First Friday Family Fun Night, Parish Visitor Editor, Communications Committee, Women s Retreat & Education for Ministry Mentor. Janet brings skills of discernment, hospitality and administration. Janet minds the details, sees order in chaos and develops processes to complete tasks. We see ourselves as part of the Bethlehem community, called to serve with our hands and our heart. This is evidenced through our emergency sheltering program, refugee family support, the facility planning process and spiritual formation opportunities (i.e. Celtic service, camp, adult forum, Sunday school, cathedral classics) Janet recently right-sized to condominium life with her husband of 29 years, Tom. Son, Carl lives and works in Bethlehem. Daughter, Katie lives and works in Dallas, TX.
2017 DELEGATES TO CONVENTION Candidate Profiles Vote for 1 Tom Edwards Tom has been attending the Cathedral since 2008. He is currently a reader and lay Eucharistic minister. Marion and Tom are currently very active with the Cathedral s Refugee Ministry committee supporting our Syrian family. Additionally, they have enjoyed meeting other Nativity members through DOCC, Celtic Spirituality, and serving meals for the winter homeless shelter. Tom is also a mentor for the Education for Ministry (EfM) group that meets in the Cathedral, providing an opportunity for understanding our faith, and growing in our discipleship. Tom and his wife Marion in Center Valley, and have three grown children, currently residing in DC and London. Tom has been retired from Air Products in Trexlertown for seven years. Most of the 32 years that he worked there he was in Engineering-- managing groups that designed various industrial gas plants. If elected, Tom looks forward to representing the Cathedral at an exciting time for the Diocese. With the recent formation of a Bishop search committee and the ongoing re-examination of our joint mission, the Diocese seems to be in a season of renewal, and the 2017 Convention will be an important meeting as we plan our future together.
Connie Gilbert Connie has been a member of the Cathedral for 22 years. Her ministries include YAC teacher, Pilgrimage mentor, bible study leader, Eucharistic Minister, Order of St. Luke, choir, Women s retreat committee & presenter, Thrift Shop Coordinator. Connie is open to new ideas and is good listener. Her deep faith sustains her every day. Connie is most excited about the new opportunities to restructure our space and increase our ministries to our church family and our community. Connie is a widow with two grown sons, an amazing daughterin-law and three incredible grandchildren. Charles Chip M. Montgomery Chip and his wife Alison will be celebrating 30 years of marriage this October. Together they raised two children, Alyssa & Ian, at the Cathedral. Chip joined the Cathedral in 1969. Some of his parish activities include Men & Boys Choir, Camp Director, Vestry Member (9 years), Junior Warden, Third Millennium Fund, Judge of Elections, Head Usher, Greeter and Reader. Chip brings gifts of experience and enthusiasm. Chip is looking forward to a bright future at the Cathedral. Increasing membership and encouraging new people to fill in roles at the Cathedral along with celebrating the love and support the Cathedral community has to offer.